Nibbles #49

A strawberry deep dive, the dangers of Brazil nuts, and a Bloody Mary Pasta Salad.

Welcome to Nibbles where once a month I share everything brilliant I’ve been reading on the web as well as some general updates from my kitchen, my vegetable garden during the growing season, the books I’ve been reading, and other miscellaneous ‘you really need to know about’ updates.

Usually I’d suggest grabbing a cup of tea or a coffee to sit down and enjoy Nibbles with, but as it is not even 9:30am yet and we’re already approaching 27°C, it would be remiss of you not to share my green iced tea recipe which I switched over to days ago. Ocado will be here in a bit with the ingredients to blitz and chill a lovely bowlful of Ajo Blanco.

If you’ve somehow arrived here from elsewhere and you’re not yet a subscriber, you can sign up here so not to miss out on ingredient essays, exclusive recipes, the occasional long read!

---

We’re firmly in summer dinner’s territory. This was one of the stars: chicken thighs roasted with nectarines, thyme from the garden, and honey, white wine and white balsamic vinegar cooked down with the pan juices to make a sticky sauce (recipe).

• Laura talks about the food change and the implications for year-round strawberry availability via the medium of strawberry shortcakes:

Strawberry shortcake and the curse of year-round availability

• In other strawberry news, BBC Good Food dive into the strawberry food change from field to supermarket (or farm shop: these are our local ones here in the story) shelf:

  Strawberry fields forever

• They’ve also written a great piece on the flexible sustainability of fish:

  We need to talk about fish

• Don’t eat 50 brazil nuts at once because they’re toxic. This is just one fact I learned from Camilla’s latest brilliant instalment from her dangerous foods series:

Kitchen Project #204: All About Brazil Nuts

• Sinu has written a lovely piece on cobbling together meals, simple cooking, and leftover ricotta:

Lemony ricotta dumplings & my magic tomato broth

• Emily’s ode to jam making and custard is a lovely, calming piece of food writing:

  A Love of Jam + A Recipe for Cake & Custard

If you’re after an easy one pan summer dinner, new on the blog this month I’ve shared this super simple recipe for Baked White Fish with Tomatoes and Olives. And if you’re after a simple summer side, I’ve also got a French Avocado Salad recipe I just know you’re going to love!

For my residency at local food hall Macknade this month I’ve got all your upcoming special occasions sorted with a Kentish Strawberry & English Sparkling Wine Trifle, and in other strawberry dessert news, over on meal prep website Project Meal Plan I’ve created a stupidly simple Strawberry Gingersnap Icebox Cake. Also for Project Meal Plan this month, I’ve created a Loaded Bloody Mary Pasta Salad.

Not my recipe, but one I need to shout about, I made Ben Lippett’s focaccia from How I Cook yesterday (because what is better to make in this weather than bread?) and it was fantastic, the only focaccia recipe I’ll make from now on. Also on the plate: a barbecued lamb chop, home grown broad beans, lettuce and potatoes, and my Greek beetroot salad.

Also, not my recipe but one I’d 110% recommend at the start of the month these chicken escallops with butter, tomato, chilli, basil and curry powder from Ixta Belfrage were incredible, I would not change the recipe one bit!